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The Winter Garden

The Arboretum's 2010 Display

Northwest Flower & Garden Show

Washington State Convention & Trade Center

February 3 to 7

Snow on a witch hazel in the Witt Winter Garden

(photo: Joy Spurr)

The Arboretum’s display at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show will celebrate the subtle, quiet, contemplative charms of the garden in winter. Evoking an actual and historic garden at the Washington Park Arboretum—the Joseph A. Witt Winter Garden—it will feature a range of woodland plants that peak in interest at the time of year when most gardens are dormant and uninteresting. The display will also feature an information kiosk inspired by architectural features of the Graham Visitors Center. It will not only be a beautiful winter-themed garden in and of itself but also a celebration of the role and legacy of the Arboretum Foundation, which celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2010.

Entitled “The Winter Garden,” the display will be a useful and visually appealing demonstration of how to create winter interest in your yard through thoughtful plant selection. The rich foliage of conifers and other evergreens will be used to anchor the garden and bring in sweet fragrance. The softly colored winter bark of birches and maples, along with the more strikingly colored stems of dogwoods, will act as a foil to the evergreen foliage hues and textures. Winter flowers and tassels borne on trees and shrubs will offer cheerful notes and engage the viewer’s attention.

Sketch of "The Winter Garden" display

(illustrator: Phil Wood)

Mirroring the design of the Witt Winter Garden, a small patch of lawn in the center of the display—accessible by a series of stepping stones—will create an intimate “woodland room,” inviting users to escape from the workaday world and immerse their senses in nature. This will be a garden that informs or reminds viewers of the wonders to be found at Washington Park Arboretum, but it will also be a garden that viewers can adapt to enhance their own personal landscapes.

Once again, the designers of the display garden are Phil Wood and Bob Lilly. Phil and Bob designed the wonderful “Entry to Cascadia” garden, which garnered much praise and a Silver Award at last year’s show. Phil is an award-winning garden designer and writer based in Seattle. He owns Phil Wood Garden Design, is a past member of the Arboretum Foundation Board, and now serves on the editorial board of the Bulletin. Bob is a well known plantsman and author, and a long-time Foundation volunteer. Among the many things he does for us, Bob helps organize our annual FlorAbundance plant sale in spring.

Produced by the Arboretum Foundation in cooperation with Seattle Parks and Recreation and UW Botanic Gardens, the Arboretum display garden is made possible by the generosity and hard work of many volunteers, including the display committee, chaired by Mike Allen.

Display Garden Volunteers

The Arboretum's display garden wouldn't be possible with the dedication and hard work of many volunteers. We need volunteers to help with construction and take down of the display and to act as docents during the Flower Show. If you'd like to help out, please email our Volunteer Resources Manager Elly Lien or call her at 206-325-4510.

• Construction Volunteer Schedule & Assignments
• Docent Schedule & Assignments
• Garden Breakdown Schedule & Assignments

(Schedules are for reference only. To sign up as a volunteer, please contact Elly Lien.)

Got Moss?

Once again we need donations of moss in order to create the Arboretum display garden. Both arboreal and terrestrial types will do. You can deliver your surplus moss to the Arboretum any day during the week between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and place it in either of the two large wooden cold frames on the west end of the big greenhouse, next to the Graham Visitors Center. Thank you!

Display Garden Plant Sale

Saturday, February 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Plant Donations Nursery area

Every year, the Foundation sells plants from its display garden at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show to raise money for the Arboretum. This year's sale is on Saturday, February 13, and we'll be selling plants featured in The Winter Garden. You’ll find lovely maples, dogwoods, hebes, conifers, rhododendrons, and more on offer. The sale will be located adjacent to the Plant Donations Nursery, just south of the Graham Visitors Center.

Volunteers: If you'd like to volunteer at the sale, please contact Elly Lien. See a list of volunteer positions and assignments.

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